NearDeath Experiances Bring Out the Best In People
by NCISgirl1527
Summary: This is a Smacked fic that follows the episode Death House at least I think that is what it is called . I couldn't think of a title so that is why it is weird but if you have a suggestion tell me. Either way. Please read and enjoy.


_**Okay I saw the death house episode last night and I had to write a fic for it. I really like this one I hope you like it too.  
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_**Spoilers: Death House**_

_**Disclaimer: Absolutely nothing in this story is mine.**_

Stella was putting the final touches on the case file. She was about to close it when the door opened behind her. Stella spun around so quickly that the entire contents of the folder scattered across the desk and on to the floor. As she turned around her hand went automatically to the gun holstered on her waist.

"Whoa," Mac said holding his hands up to shoulder height, "I come in peace."

"Sorry," Stella apologized removing her hand from her gun.

"Hey no problem," Mac says lowering his hands, "Do you want help picking that up?"

"What?" Stella asked looking at her feet where Mac was pointing, "Oh that…yea that would be great."

Together they bent down to pick up the papers scattered on the floor. Stella grimaced as she noted that most of the past half an hour's work was now in a pile on the floor. However with Mac's help she was able put the papers back in the right order in about ten minutes.

"Where do I sign this?" Mac asked her picking up a pen.

"Um," Stella looked down at the stack of papers and pointing "There." Mac added his signature next to hers with a slight flourish. "Thanks," Stella said closing the file and setting it far away from the edge of the table.

"So are you going to tell me why you almost shot me?" Mac asked teasing her slightly.

"I would never shoot you," Stella replied in mock indignation.

"Thank you," Mac told her smiling, "I take that as a compliment."

"You should," Stella told him. There were a few moments of silence while Mac looked at Stella and she looked back.

"Seriously, Stella," Mac asked in a more serious tone, "Why did you jump when I walked into the room?"

"Oh that," Stella said trying to shrug it off, "It was nothing." She turned back to her desk and began to organize some of the papers.

"Stella," Mac said gently, "look at me." Stella stopped shuffling papers and turn to face Mac again. He looked at her. Anybody else would think nothing of the incident, but he had known Stella long enough to know that she was not usually jumpy.

Mac opened his mouth but Stella cut him off. "I jumped a little Mac," Stella told him, "nothing is wrong."

"You almost never where your gun when you are in the lab," Mac reminded her. Stella looked down at her holster and knew that he was right. "So are you going to answer my question?"

"It's stupid," Stella told him shaking her head, "really stupid."

"Stella," Mac told her, "If something is bothering you it is not stupid."

"Alright," Stella said, "This case just really got to me."

"That's not stupid," Mac told her seriously, "You were nearly impaled by a bed of knives."

"That's only part of it," Stella said shaking her head, "I mean we are detectives one of us could die every time we walk through that door."

"That never makes the close calls any less scary," Mac told her gently.

"I know," Stella said quietly then she paused for a moment, "Walking through that house was just not like other cases. I mean usually when we are looking for a person in a house it isn't the house that is trying to kill us."

"I know," Mac said gently, "I was there too."

"That was another part of it," Stella confessed, "I was so scared that I would do something wrong and I would get you killed."

"I'm still here," he told her pulling her into a hug.

"Good because I think I would self-destruct without you," Stella mumbled into his shoulder.

"What are friends for?" Mac asked rhetorically. He and Stella had been friends for years and they had come to depend each other. He need her in order for him to survive and somewhere over the years he had found himself wondering whether what he felt for her was more than friendship. Either way he knew how she felt. Every time he closed his eyes he could see the bed of knives swinging towards Stella. The difference was that in his mind they hit her and he watched her body fall to the floor instead of being able to save her like he had in real life.

They stood there for several minutes just wrapped in the comfort of each other's arms. Stella's face was buried in Mac's shoulder and Mac's face was buried in Stella's curls. Suddenly the door opened. As it did Mac felt Stella's grip tighten around him and he squeezed her reassuringly.

"Aww," Lindsey said as she and Danny stood in the doorway looking in at Mac and Stella, who broke apart and turning to face the other two.

"Are you going to uphold tradition?" Danny asked Mac.

"What?" Mac said confused looking at the ceiling where Danny was pointing.

"How did that get there?" Stella asked looking at the mistletoe as well.

"Hey it is my office too," Lindsey reminded Stella.

"Fair enough," Stella said turning to Mac who met her eyes.

"Are you going to kiss her or not Mac?" Danny asked, "because I am sure just about any guy would be happy to switch places with you."

Mac ignored Danny even though he felt a stab of jealously with the thought of Stella in someone else arms. Without thinking about it he planted a firm but gentle kiss on Stella's lips. He expected her to pull away from him but she didn't. They continued to kiss until they both broke away for need of air. Looking around they realized that Danny and Lindsey had both disappeared.

"I'm sorry," Mac said starting to turn away from Stella.

"Do you regret it?" Stella asked sounding a little hurt.

"No," Mac said quickly, "I just thought that…" Mac's voice drifted off.

"Good because I don't either," Stella said her lips crashing against Mac's again.

_**So how did you like it? I don't know where the ending came from because I didn't intend it to go there but whatever…**_


End file.
